Opening and closing
24 Manual operation of the tailgate triggers
the alarm. Refer to page21.<
Switching off an alarm
>Unlock the car with the remote control, refer
to page19.
>Turn the master key in the ignition lock to
position 1, refer to page40.
Indicator lamp displays
>The indicator lamp beneath the interior mir-
ror flashes continuously:
The system is armed.
>The indicator lamp flashes immediately
after the vehicle is locked:
Doors, hood or luggage compartment lid/
tailgate are not properly closed. Even if you
do not close the alerted area, the system
begins to monitor the remaining areas, and
the indicator lamp flashes continuously
after approx. 10 seconds. However, the
interior motion sensor is not activated.
>If the indicator lamp goes out immediately
after the vehicle is unlocked:
Your vehicle has not been disturbed while
you were away.
>If the indicator lamp flashes for 10 seconds
immediately after the vehicle is unlocked:
Your vehicle has been disturbed while you
were away.
After an alarm has been triggered, the indicator
lamp will flash continuously.
Tilt alarm sensor
The inclination of the vehicle is monitored. The
alarm system reacts e.g. to attempts to steal a
wheel or tow the vehicle.
Interior motion sensor*
Coupe
All windows must be closed in order for the inte-
rior motion sensor to function optimally.
Roadster
The system monitors the footwells and the
seating areas of the driver and passenger. Even
when the convertible top is open, the alarm sys-
tem including the interior motion sensor is
armed. Objects falling into the vehicle, e.g.
leaves, can trigger unintentional alarms, refer to
Avoiding unintentional alarms.
Avoiding unintentional alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and interior motion sensor
can be deactivated at the same time. In this way
you can avoid unintentional alarms, e.g. in the
following situations:
>In duplex garages
>When transporting the vehicle on car-carry-
ing trains, by ship or on a trailer
>When animals are to remain in the vehicle
Switching off tilt alarm sensor and
interior motion sensor
>Press the button on the remote
control twice in a row.
The indicator lamp lights up briefly and then
flashes continuously. The tilt alarm sensor and
the interior motion sensor are deactivated until
the vehicle is again unlocked and locked.
Windows
To prevent injuries, exercise care when
closing the windows and keep them in
your field of vision until they are shut.
Take the key with you when you leave the car,
otherwise children could operate the windows
and possibly injure themselves.<
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
31
vehicle control could lead to an accident.
On the passenger seat as well, do not incline
the backrest too far to the rear while the vehicle
is being driven, otherwise there is a danger in
the event of an accident of sliding under the
safety belt, eliminating the protection normally
provided by the belt.<
Comply with the instructions on head restraint
height on page32 and on damaged safety belts
on page34.
Seat adjustment
Comply with the preceding instructions in
this chapter to ensure the best possible
personal protection.<
Backward/forward adjustment
Pull lever 1 and slide the seat to the desired
position.
After releasing the lever, move the seat gently
forward or back to make sure it engages prop-
erly.
Height
Pull lever 2 and apply your weight to the seat or
lift it off, as necessary.
Backrest
Pull lever 3 and apply your weight to the back-
rest or lift it off, as necessary.
Power seat adjustment*
Read and comply with the adjustment
instructions on page30. Failure to do so
can result in diminished personal safety.<
1Tilt angle
2Backward/forward adjustment
3Height
4Backrest
The head restraint is adjusted manually, refer to
Head restraints on page32.
M Sports seat*
On this seat, you can also adjust the thigh sup-
port and the tilt angle.
Adjustments
32
Tilting upward
Pull lever1 repeatedly until the desired tilt has
been reached.
Tilting downward
Press lever2 repeatedly until the desired tilt has
been reached.
Thigh support
Pull lever3 and move the thigh support forward
or back.
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident. Only remove the head
restraint if no one is traveling in the passenger
seat. Reinstall the head restraint before a per-
son travels in the seat to provide the safety
functions of the head restraint.<
Adjusting the height
>To move up: pull up.>To move down: press button1 and push
the head restraint downward.
M Sports seat*
The head restraints are integrated in the back-
rests and cannot be adjusted in height.
Removal
1.Pull up all the way.
2.Press button1 and pull out the head
restraint completely.
M Sports seat*
The head restraints are integrated in the back-
rests and cannot be removed.
Seat memory*
You can store and recall three different driver's
seat positions.
Storing
Ignition key in position 1 or higher
1.Adjust seat to desired position.
2.Press the M
EMORY button.
The LED in the button lights up.
3.Press memory button 1, 2 or 3.
The LED goes out.
Manual call-up
Do not select a memory position while the
vehicle is moving. If you do, there is a risk
of accident from an unexpected movement of
the seat.<
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
33
Convenience function
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or turn
the key to position 1, refer to page40.
2.Press memory button 1, 2 or 3 briefly.
Movement stops when one of the seat adjust-
ment or memory buttons is operated during the
adjustment process.
You can have this feature programmed so
that after you use the remote control from
your personalized key to unlock your door, your
seat will move into your own preferred posi-
tion.<
Safety function
1.Close the driver's door and turn the key to
position 0 or 2.
2.Press the desired memory button 1, 2 or 3
until the adjustment process is completed.
If you press the M
EMORY button accidentally:
Press the button again; the LED goes out.
Before activating the programmed
adjustment feature, ensure that the space
behind the driver's seat is empty and unob-
structed. If you fail to do so, objects behind the
seat could be damaged, should the seat move
backward.<
Seat heating*
The seat cushion and backrest can be heated
with the ignition key in position 2.
Press once for each temperature level.
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.
To switch off:
Press button longer.
Safety belts
Comply with the instructions on page30,
or the occupants' personal safety will be
diminished.<
Make sure every occupant fastens his or her
safety belt. As supplemental restraint devices,
the airbags are designed to enhance the effec-
tiveness of the safety belts, and not to replace
them.
To fasten
Make sure you hear the lock engage in the belt
buckle.
The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of
any stature as long as the seat is adjusted prop-
erly, refer to page31.
To unlock
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder
The indicator lamp flashes or lights up.
A signal also sounds. Check whether
the safety belt has been fastened cor-
rectly.
The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is issued as
long as the driver's safety belt has not been fas-
tened. The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is also
activated at road speeds above approx. 5 mph/
8 km/h if the passenger's safety belt is not fas-
tened, if heavy objects are placed on the pas-
senger seat, or if driver or passenger unfasten
their safety belts.
Adjustments
34
Damaged safety belts
When the belt system has absorbed an
accident or has been damaged, have the
system and its belt tensioners replaced and the
b e l t a n c h o r s c h e c k e d . H a v e t h i s w o r k d o n e o n l y
by your BMW center or at a workshop that
works according to BMW repair procedures
with correspondingly trained personnel. Other-
wise, it is not guaranteed that the safety devices
will function properly.<
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The passenger's mirror is more convex
than the driver's mirror. The objects seen
in the mirror are closer than they appear. Do not
gauge your distance from traffic behind you on
the basis of what you see in the mirror; other-
wise there is an increased risk of an accident.<
1Adjustments
2To switch from one mirror to the other
3To fold the mirrors in or out
*
Manual adjustment
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually:
press on the edges of the lens.
Folding mirrors in or out*
The mirrors can be folded in or out up to a road
speed of approx. 6 mph/10 km/h by pressing
button3. This can be useful on narrow roads,
for example, or to reset the mirrors to their cor-
rect positions after they were folded in.
Automatic heating*
Both exterior mirrors are automatically heated
when the engine is running or the ignition is
switched on.
Interior rearview mirror
Turn the knob to reduce glare from the head-
lamps of cars behind you when driving at night.
Interior and exterior mirrors with
automatic dimming feature*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior
and exterior mirrors
* is controlled by two photo
cells in the interior rearview mirror. In the Road-
ster, one is located in the top of the mirror
frame, see arrow. In the Coupe, it is located at
the bottom of the mirror frame. The other photo
cell is on the back of the mirror.
In order to ensure that the system functions
correctly, keep the photocells clean, do not
cover the area between the interior rearview
mirror and windshield, and do not affix adhesive
labels or stickers of any kind to the windshield
directly in front of the mirror.
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
37
Deactivating
Use the key to turn the key switch to the OFF
position.
The passenger airbags are deactivated in this
position. The airbags for the driver remain
active.
Reactivate the passenger airbags as soon
as a child-restraint system is no longer
installed on the passenger seat; otherwise they
may not deploy as intended in the event of an
accident.<
Reactivating
Use the key to turn the key switch to the ON
position.
The passenger airbags in the vehicle are reacti-
vated and will be triggered in certain situations.
Operational status of the passenger
airbags
>The indicator lamp remains lit when the
passenger airbags are deactivated.
>The indicator lamp is not lit when the pas-
senger airbags are activated.
When the seat is empty, the passenger
airbags are always deactivated. The indi-
cator lamp is not lit.<
Installing child-restraint
systems
Before installing a child-restraint system
on the passenger seat, make sure that the
front and side airbags for the passenger are
deactivated, otherwise there is an increased
risk of injury if the airbags deploy. Observe the child-restraint system manufacturer's instruc-
tions for selecting, installing and using child-
restraint systems. Otherwise the protective
effect may be diminished.<
Child seat security
The passenger's safety belt can be prevented
from being pulled out in order to fasten child-
restraint systems.
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child-restraint system with the
belt.
2.Pull the belt strap all the way out.
3.Allow the belt strap to retract and pull it taut
against the child-restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
To unlock the safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle.
2.Remove the child-restraint system.
3.Allow the safety belt strap to retract all the
way.
Coupe: child-restraint system with
tether strap
There is an anchor fitting in the cargo bay for
child-restraint systems with a tether strap.
Transporting children safely
38 To gain access to this anchor fitting, lift the
plastic plug with the help of a screwdriver, see
arrow.
Use the tether strap anchor fittings only
to fasten child-restraint systems in place;
otherwise the anchor fittings could be dam-
aged.<
Positioning the tether strap
1Forward driving direction
2Head restraint
3Child restraint anchor fitting
4Attaching clip
5Cargo bay floor
6Seat backrest
7Tether strap
I f n ec e s s a r y, f o l d up t h e a n ch o r f it t i n g up b e f o r e
using.
1.Unhook the roller-blind cover, if necessary,
and let it retract.
2.Push the head restraint upward.
3.Guide the tether strap through the head
restraint support posts.
4.Push the head restraint into its lowest posi-
tion.5.Clip the tether strap onto the anchor fitting.
M Sports seat*: positioning the tether
strap
1Forward driving direction
2Support posts
3Head restraint
4Child restraint anchor fitting
5Attaching clip
6Cargo bay floor
7Seat backrest
8Tether strap
I f n ec e s s a r y, f o l d up t h e a n ch o r f it t i n g up b e f o r e
using.
1.Unhook the roller-blind cover, if necessary,
and let it retract.
2.Guide the tether strap through the head
restraint support posts.
3.Clip the tether strap onto the anchor fitting.
LATCH child-restraint fixing system*
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
When installing a LATCH child seat, com-
ply with the child seat manufacturer's
operating and safety instructions.<
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
49
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve
zone of approx. 2.1 US gallons/8 liters, indicator
lamp 1 lights up continuously.
Do not drive until the fuel tank is empty
and refill it well in advance. Otherwise the
engine may not operate properly and damage
could result.<
When you switch on the ignition, the indicator
lamp comes on briefly to indicate an operational
check.
Engine coolant temperature
gauge
Blue
The engine is still cold. Drive at moderate
engine and vehicle speeds.
Between the blue and red zones
Normal operating range. The needle may rise as
far as the edge of the red sector during normal
operation.
Red
When you switch on the ignition, warning
lamp1 comes on briefly to indicate an opera-
tional check.
Comes on while driving:
The engine has overheated. Stop and switch
the engine off immediately and allow it to cool
down.
For checking the coolant level, refer to page94.
Service interval display
The remaining driving distance in miles/km until
the next scheduled service is displayed briefly
immediately after you start the engine or switch
on the ignition.
The words OILSERVICE or INSPECTION indi-
cate the type of service due next. The computer
bases its calculations of the remaining driving
distance on the preceding driving style.
A flashing message and a minus sign in front of
the number mean that the service interval has
already been exceeded by the number of miles/
kilometers shown on the display. Please sched-
ule an appointment with your BMW center or a
workshop that works according to BMW repair
procedures with correspondingly trained per-
sonnel.
The extent of service work required can
be read out from the remote control by
your BMW Service Advisor.<
Clock
If you wish to have a permanent time display,
you can have it appear in the car radio display,
refer to the Owner's Manual for Radio.
You can set the time and the time display in the
car radio as follows.